Florida State commit Jacob Pugh said he was somewhat "shocked" by the departure of FSU defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt.

Florida State commit Jacob Pugh said he was somewhat "shocked" by the departure of FSU defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. (CHRIS HAYS/ORLANDO SENTINEL)

FSU defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt's departure to Georgia on Tuesday was somewhat of a surprise to FSU commit Jacob Pugh III, who said he now might consider his options.

The highly touted linebacker from Tallahassee Godby said he was "shocked" by the news but that he also had not heard from Pruitt since before the BCS National Championship Game, which he thought was a bit odd.

Pruitt's departure comes after one year on the job, which he took after leaving Alabama's staff on the same night the Crimson Tide won the BCS title a year ago.

"It shocked me for a minute," Pugh said, "but I hadn't talked to him for weeks. The last I talked to him was right before the national championship game and we haven't talked since then so I knew something was up ... I had a gut feeling that he was going to get a new job, but it is what it is."

Pugh (6-4, 216), the No. 4-ranked player in the Sentinel's 2014 Florida Top 100, is the No. 5-ranked outside linebacker in the country by 247sports.com. Pugh said the only schools he would consider taking official visits to are Florida or Alabama, "but not while I'm committed to Florida State."

He also said Florida head coach Will Mushcamp and the rest of the Gators' staff have stayed on him even after he committed to the Seminoles.

"I talk to Florida all the time. I talk to all of them ... Coach Muschamp, Coach Lawing [Brad, defensive line], Coach Durkin [D.J., linebackers]," Pugh said. "It would be weird [to leave Tallahassee for Gainesville] ... I don't really know just yet, only time will tell."

For now he figures he's still likely to end up at FSU.

"Yeah, somewhat sure ... 80 percent," Pugh said.

But 80 percent still leaves 20 percent of wiggle room for a recruit that FSU has been high on from the beginning.

Pruitt has not reached out to him about Georgia just yet, but Pugh figures to hear from him soon.

As linebackers Kain Daub of Jacksonville Sandalwood and Jacob Pugh of Tallahassee Godby stood side-by-side during linebacker drills at the Jimbo Fisher Football Camp last week, onlookers just couldn't help but forecast the future.